Remote Recording: Three Tips to Ensure Smooth Voiceover Sessions

Has your creative team returned to work in a somewhat ‘hybrid fashion?  Are you being asked to meet in the office of your advertising agency while also being offered the opportunity to continue to work as a creative director, producer or director from home?   Wait – is that the same question written two different ways for SEO purposes?  #insightfulreader. 
 
As working environments continue to evolve, the landscape of remote voiceover recording has progressed as well, allowing creative directors, advertising agencies and producers to receive broadcast-quality audio while directing voiceover talent from anywhere.  In order to maintain a seamless audio workflow, here are three tips for ensuring smooth remote voiceover sessions now and into the future:
 
First, ensuring a smooth remote recording session actually begins BEFORE the session. 

Consider connecting with voiceover talent 10 minutes prior to the actual directed session begins to ensure connectivity issues are addressed prior to bringing the client into the remote session.  During this time, audio levels can be adjusted accordingly and connectivity will have been established before the client is introduced into the session.
 
Next, request that the voiceover talent capture the audio of the session while performing.  In other words, request “backup audio” from the voiceover talent and have it sent to you after the session as a high-quality WAV file.  Having a second recording of the entire voiceover session provides a safety net in the event that the internet is slow or “glitchy.”  During the post-production process, you can always pull from the backup audio if necessary rather than scheduling an entire new session to grab a small pickup line.  Wait – did you just save money from reading this?  Yes, my friend, indeed you did.
 
Finally, if the last couple of years have taught us anything, unforeseen interruptions can occur occasionally, both in life and in the creative process.  Obviously, every now and then, there will be a few ill-timed days when the internet may create glitches in real-time recording for unknown reasons. 

When this does happen, rest-assured that there are an abundant number of viable options to direct talent remotely with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Phone, etc.  

In these rare cases, the session can still proceed as planned with the voiceover talent recording the audio and taking direction via one of the aforementioned services.   After the session, the voiceover artist can simply email the whole session to you and your creative team as previously mentioned. 
 
In summary, the “new normal” of the blended home-work environment allows the creative process to take place in various locations.  To evolve with this new professional landscape, it requires advertising agencies, creative directors and producers to work collaboratively with post-production houses and voiceover talent to ensure smooth remote recording sessions.  By maintaining flexibility, preparing beforehand and ensuring backups, the creative process can continue on from anywhere.  And since you have been kind enough to read this far, here is bonus tip – always remember – if you suspect that an audio disturbance has occurred, it is perfectly fine to ask for a safety take from the voiceover actor when the client has left the line. 
 
Remember when you read an entire LinkedIn article that was created from the mind of a creative voiceover professional, and you thought ‘whoa-that’s extremely insightful and such a unique perspective?’  And then you thought ‘wow-I bet Chris Burnett brings a fresh perspective to all of his creative endeavors, even if he does type in third person sometimes?’  And then you emailed him at Chris@ChrisBurnettVoiceActor.com so you could collaborate?  That time…that was right now.